Father Charged In License Fraud

MIAMI — Frank Del Rey, the father of a teen-ager whose drag racing accident left three dead in December, was charged on Wednesday with fraudulently obtaining driver's licenses for both of his sons.

The youngest son, Francisco, was only 15 when his 1994 Corvette crashed into another car while racing at more than 100 mph near Miami's Coconut Grove. The teen, now 16, faces three counts of manslaughter and fraudulently obtaining a driver's license.

Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said on Wednesday that the senior Del Rey not only helped his youngest son obtain a fake driver's license at 15, but did the same for older son, Raymond, who is now 21.

The sons presented bogus birth certificates that showed they were 17 to state driver's license officials. The ruse meant the teen-agers could drive at any hour of the day without an older driver in the car, as required by state law for drivers under 16.

"We did a thorough records check and found that he had done this for both his sons," Fernandez Rundle said. She said the oldest son's license will likely not be suspended because he is now of legal age.

The senior Del Rey, 58, of Coral Gables, is charged with a total of four counts related to the fake documents used by his sons. He was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison.

Frank Del Rey surrendered to the Florida Highway Patrol, was booked and released on bond.

The 3 a.m. crash on Dec. 30 killed Luis Perez, 21, of Miami; Alvaro Cardenas, 19, and Carlos Rios, 18, both University of Florida students home for the holidays. One of Francisco Del Rey's two passengers was left paralyzed.

Francisco Del Rey was not seriously injured in the crash, which followed a night of partying in South Beach.

The man Francisco Del Rey was drag racing against, Everett David Price, 29, of Coral Gables, also is charged with manslaughter in the accident. The case is on hold pending a ruling by the Third District Court of Appeal clarifying the charges against the teen-ager, who is out on bond and living with an uncle.